Friday, February 27, 2009


My daddy was many things, but one of the things he was best at, I think, was wood carvings. He made a lot of these little boots, as well as ducks, deer, bear, snakes, etc.

(I was moving these boots to take a picture and discovered that one of them is full of teeth. I was slightly unnerved until my nephew Sawyer told me that that is where he and his oldest brother, Brayden, keep the teeth they lose.)
A friend of mine has a request for his son ----


He has been asked to survey people that live in the United States using only three questions. The more responses he gets the better the grade. It is a political poll but no personal information is needed except for what state in which you reside. He has been asked to do this from now through the end of March. The questions are the same questions a lot of media polls ask but the purpose of this assignment is to take away the bias of the media and see what mainstream Americans are saying without the possible influence that the media may have upon the results.

I would love to see him get 10,000+ unique responses but the only way for that to happen is with your help, pass the link to others you know, and have them to do the same. The survey only has three questions (four counting the state you in which you reside) and should take less than 10 seconds to complete.


The survey is here

Saturday, February 21, 2009

When Worship Music

Isn't.



Jesus is a Friend of Mine. He really is.

This song isn't.



And, well, it isn't praise and worship, and it isn't supposed to be, but I was reminded of this video last night during a conversation about what happens when "old" people try to be hip with the young people.

Definitely isn't.



And, definitely ISN'T. (Just a note, this was originally removed from youtube, so it may disappear at some point)

Friday, February 20, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day

A week late. I'm trying to get caught up here. My other blog Through the Windshield is also desperately behind, and I am hoping to remedy that, at least in part, today.

Times being what they are, and finances being what they are, Bernard and I just went out to eat and to the bookstore (by ourselves!!!). We decided on Cheddar's and after a wait of about 35 minutes, ate until we were literally stuffed. I'm not sure, but I vaguely remember Bernard rolling me out of there. But, oh man, it was good!!!

(Mushy warning ahead)
I know a lot of women who are married to men who are simply jerks. And, they don't mind being jerks to their wife in front of her friends and/or coworkers. That irks me beyond belief. Their husbands are thoughtless, obsessive, paranoid, and just generally crass.

I'm NOT married to one of them.

My husband is awesome. Yes, he has his faults, but they are small compared to many. Also, his attributes so far outweigh the faults it is not funny. He is more than willing to admit fault and say, "I'm sorry," and I have never felt unloved, or unwanted. I've also never had to question his faithfulness to me and the family, and he is truly a man of integrity. If he says it, he means it, and if he promises it, he will deliver.

So, Bernard, it is a bit late, but this is for you --

Out of the Mouths. . .

This conversation occurred while I was fixing lunch for the sprogs today.

Princess: Mama, how does Jesus live in our hearts?

Me: (Not entirely surprised, she has been asking this question A LOT lately). Well, when we ask Jesus to forgive our sins, and become our Savior, he lives in our hearts.

Princess: But, MAMA, how does he get food there? Does he make it go from our stomach to our hearts so that he can have something to eat?????

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Disconnect




Through the years, I've had the opportunity to see what it is like to be part of a preacher's family, without actually having been married to, or the child of, a preacher.

One event I remember, is that in college, my best friend was a preacher's kid. One summer, I was invited to go on the family vacation to Hilton Head, SC with them. They knew that a member of the congregation was very sick, but her dad decided to go anyway. He went for one day, had to come back home the next, preach the funeral the next, and made it back to Hilton Head for the last full day of vacation. :/

We have several family members that are preachers.

Through the years, we've had the privilege of being friends with pastors and their families (both of our own church and outside of our church).

I am in constant awe at how the family has to share their husband and daddy. However, what I experienced Sunday was unlike anything I've ever felt, or imagined feeling. I can't say that I liked it. :/

Long, very convoluted, story short, our pastor resigned last Wednesday night. He gave no notice, and my husband was chosen to fill in on Sunday morning. He is not a preacher. He has not been called to preach, and he made it a point to tell the congregation that he was "teaching," not preaching.

I had watched him prepare on Saturday. I knew roughly what he was going to address. Yet, while he was on stage (looking fine, I might add, though it is a bit non sequitur ) he became the "preacher" and I was just a member of the "congregation." Though we were still married, for the first time in our married life, his role for that 30 minutes or so was not as "husband."

I felt totally disconnected from him.

It was weird.

I became (and still am to some degree) a bit clingy. (I think he liked it at first, but is growing a bit weary of me hanging on to him all the time, now).

What I realized, though, is that the preacher's wife deals with that multiple times a week. For the women who can realize it, and for the pastors who know it, they can make a conscious effort to "reconnect" immediately.

But, if it is not realized, the disconnect carries from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night, and on Monday morning, each goes to work, or to do what they do, and they still have not reconnected.

Service after service.

Week after week.

Month after month.

Over time, the disconnect become "normal."

That's not cool. Or healthy.

If kids are in the house, I suspect it could be the same thing.

My prayer for all of my preacher friends, and their spouses, is that they connect each day, each week. That his wife is still his first ministry, and that he never forgets that. That his kids know him as daddy, first and foremost, and as preacher secondarily.

And, I continue to pray that the strain of the ministry in the church doesn't become a strain in the marital relationship.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Happy Birthday, Princess




My baby turned 4 today.


(around 11 days)



(around 7 months old)


(learning to pose early)







(18 months at Myrtle Beach. She LOVED the ocean. Especially when the waves knocked her over and swirled her around underneath the water. Oh yea, that was *fun.* At the end of the week, I looked at Bernard and said, "We are not coming back to the beach until both kids can swim." Travis has a healthy respect for the water. Kristi thinks she can swim.)






Kristi is, well, Kristi. At the ripe old age of four years old, she has all the answers and can provide you the questions as well. :) I could say a lot of things about Kristi, but here is a letter I wrote to her last year.

My dearest, most precious Princess Kristiana,

In the three years that you have crawled, walked, ran, and even engulfed this earth, I am amazed at how quickly you learn, and how adept you are at applying what you learn. You are absolutely beautiful, and the world seems captivated by your charming, chipped-tooth smile and sparkling blue eyes. You make people smile with you antics, and that is good.

However, as 3 turns to 4 and 5 and older, it might not be as cute. In light of that, can we please lay down some ground rules?

1. What goes up, will come back down. This includes, but is definitely not limited to, stuffed animals in the ceiling fans, golf balls, frisbees, food, and you. Yep. If you jump, you will land. The higher you jump, the harder you will land. I know that you think pink casts are "cute," and I know that you were absolutely, unabashedly impressed with Dr. Hedric and Ruth (especially) at Blue Ridge Bone and Joint, but that does not mean we need to make annual, or bi-annual visits there. Please, stop jumping off of the furniture. You cannot fly. I know this for a fact. I am a mama.

2. What goes in, will come out. One end or the other. I promise. When mama says, "Don't put that in your mouth," please listen. I am waiting for me to become a penny richer, and you a penny poorer.

3. Clothes are for wearing. I am very proud that you can put your own clothes on (even backwards). I am also proud that you can take them off. That means you are getting to be a big girl. However, there are rules that our society expects you to follow. At home, a diaper is fine. But, when mama's students arrive, you really need to keep your clothes on. Hannah and Elizabeth don't mind, but I think it may kinda bother Trail, McKinley and Seth. Also, it really alarms me when the preacher says "Amen," and I look up only to see you standing there grinning -- with nothing but your diaper on. When the grown ups are praying, please keep your clothes on.

4. The animals. Please be kind to the animals. Boomer, our dog, likes to play fetch. Chopper, the fish, does not. Please don't try to play with him, it makes him nervous.

5. Paper. Paper is very good for writing. And you are writing very well. You make the cutest little circles. But, this means write on the paper. Not the wall, the desks, the table, mama's business stuff, daddy's church stuff, the computer monitor, music books, or the pews at church. Especially not with those cool black Sharpie pens that daddy uses for work.

6. The refrigerator is NOT a good hiding place for your toys. Or you, either, for that matter.

7. Neither is the trash can.

8. You talk very well. And everyone can understand almost all of what you say. This is good. Sort of. Please don't tell everyone everything that Brooks or your brother says. Calling your Sunday School teacher (even if it is just me) a dweeb isn't nice.

9. I know Brayden, Chase, Sawyer and Brooks like to play tackle football. Travis does as well. However, they are bigger than you. Much bigger. You cannot tackle them. Please stop trying. Also, don't let them tackle you. They will hurt you, even if they don't mean to.

Kristi, I love you.
Mom

Now, where did you go?





Birthday Number ONE:


NUMBER FOUR


Happy Birthday, Princess

Thursday, February 05, 2009

In the Beginning



In the beginning, God. . . .

IF that was all the Bible said, I think I could find peace in it. Before there was time, before there was sin, before there was anything, there was God.

AND, it doesn't end there. God is NOW and God will always BE. Nothing outlasts Him; nothing outsmarts Him; nothing confounds Him; nothing confuses Him; nothing alarms Him.